Chinese Herbal Broth Recipe

Rinse herbs

Briefly rinse all dried herbs (astragalus, dang shen, dang gui, goji, red dates, longan) and dried shiitake under cold running water to remove dust. For red dates, split and remove pits if not already pitted.

Soak shiitake

Place dried shiitake in a small bowl and cover with warm water for 20–30 minutes to rehydrate. Reserve the soaking liquid (strain and add to the pot later for extra flavor). Slice caps if large.

Toast (optional)

Optionally, briefly dry-toast astragalus and dang shen in a dry pan over low heat for 30–60 seconds until fragrant to deepen flavor. Do not burn.

Prepare aromatics

Smash garlic lightly with the flat of a knife. Slice ginger about 3–4 mm thick. Trim and cut scallion into 4–5 cm lengths.

Sear aromatics (optional)

In a large stockpot, heat 1 tbs neutral oil over medium heat. Add ginger, crushed garlic and scallion and cook for 1–2 minutes until aromatic but not colored. If using kombu, add it now and keep it submerged.

Combine ingredients

Add the rinsed herbs (astragalus, dang shen, dang gui), rehydrated shiitake and their soaking liquid, red dates, goji berries, and optional longan to the pot. Pour in 3 liters cold water.

Bring to a boil

Set pot over high heat and bring to a gentle rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce heat immediately to a low simmer to maintain small bubbles.

Simmer

Simmer uncovered or partially covered on low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours. Check occasionally, skimming any foam or impurities from the surface with a spoon and removing kombu after the first 20–30 minutes if used to prevent bitterness.

Season

After simmering, taste the broth. Stir in light soy sauce, salt (start with 1 tsp and add up to 1.5 tsp as needed), and white pepper. Add rock sugar or honey if you want a hint of sweetness; dissolve thoroughly.

Strain and finish

Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into another pot or large bowl to remove herbs and solids. Reserve herbs for compost. If you prefer the herbs left in for presentation (for medicinal soups), you can transfer them into bowls with portions of the broth.

Serve the warm herbal broth as a restorative soup base, sipping directly or using it as a poaching/soup liquid for meats, vegetables or dumplings. Garnish with a few fresh goji berries or thinly sliced scallion if desired.

Cool leftover broth quickly, transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently—avoid boiling aggressively to preserve flavor.